Tracking the Longitudinal Change of Flow Experience in an EFL Conversation Course
Keywords:
flow, longitudinal research design, L2 oral proficiency development, multilevel modeling, AI-based speaking testAbstract
Second language researchers have recently recognized the importance of flow experience as an optimal state for learning, but still little is known about the necessary conditions for flow and its longitudinal change and impact on language learning outcomes. This study tracked the changes of 329 Japanese university students’ flow experience and oral proficiency in a semester-long English as a foreign language (EFL) conversation course. A flow questionnaire was administered four times during the semester, while their oral proficiency was assessed by an AI-based interactional speaking test at the beginning and end of the semester. A series of longitudinal analyses using multilevel modeling showed a U-shaped trajectory of flow experience. Furthermore, it was found that flow experience was predicted from the learner-perceived balance between task challenge and skills, concurring with Csikszentmihalyi’s (1975/2000, 1990) flow theory. In addition, flow experience contributed to improved oral proficiency scores, providing further positive evidence for the theory.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Yuya Arai, Ryuki Matsuura, Masaki Eguchi, Shungo Suzuki
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